Control apparatus



N. w. STORER.

CONTROL APPARATUS. APPLICATIO'NIFILED SEPT-27,1916.

1,336,596. Y Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

AI Fl A2 r2 WITNESSES: INVENTOR I, fie/oLZ. M. Nor/72 W Sf'arer A'TToRNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

NORMAN W. STORER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNGB. TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CGBPQRATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CONTROL APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

Original application filed June 18, 1913, Serial No. 774,394. Bivicled and this application filed September To all whom it may concern:

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Control r-Lpparatus, of which the following is a specification, this application being a division ofmy copending application Serial. Fe. 77%,39l, filed June 18, 1913, which has n'iatured into Patent No. 1,239,840, granted September 11, 1917 My invention relates to controllers for governing the operation of electric motors and particularly to controllers that are adapted for use with railway vehicles eniploying a plurality of independent unit switches and a master controller.

The object of my invention is to provice a controller of the above-indicated character which shall embody simple and effective means for concurrently interrupting the energized circuits for a plurality of unit switches when the controller is moved backwardly' a predetermined amount.

Master controllers are usually arranged to complete the energizing circuits for several unit switches in a predetermined sequence, when moved in a forward direction, in order to properly govern the motors during the period of acceleration and are adapted to interrupt the energizing circuits in the reverse order when moved backwardly to their ofi positions.

My invention proposes the use of a master controller that is provided with an auxiliary disk which has frictional engagement with the main controller drum and which is adapted, by means of suitable stops, to have the movement thereof restricted to a predetermined amount, preferably corresponding to a single notch on the controller, whereby the main control circuit is completed for the first position of the master controller, and remains so during the remaining forward movements of the controller, but which is interrupted when the controller is moved in a reverse direction.

The single figure of the accompanying drawing is a perspective View of a controller embodying my invention and a diagrammatic View of an arrangement of control circuits adapted to be governed by the controller.

Serial No. 122,444.

Referring to the drawing, a supply-circuit conductor 1 and a return-circuit conductor G are adapted to deliver energy to a plurality of electric motors having armature windings A1 and A2 and field wind ings F1 and F2, through a line switch LS and a plurality of electrically controlled switches 2, and 1: which are adapted to respectively short-circuit the resistors R2, R3 and Hat.

The circuits for controlling the several switches LS, 2, 3 and i are governed by a master controller 9 which comprises a main rotatable drum 10 and an auxiliary drum 11. The main drum 10, which is adapted to be operated by a handle 13, embodies an upwardly projecting cylindrical portion 14-, of somewhat smaller diameter than the main body portion and around which the auxiliary disk 11 is disposed. The disk 11 com prises two similar half units 15 which are resi iently held together on opposite sides by bolts 16 and springs 17, located within peripheral recesses 16, whereby a frictional engagement between the member 11 and a portion of the drum 10 is eli ected. The tension on the springs 17 may be varied to change the frictional resistance between the several members 14. and 15.

In order to limit the rotational movement of the frictionally driven disk 11, a projecting lug 18 is secured to the disk 11 and is adapted to engage the arms of a U-shaped stop 19 when moved in either direction and thus restrict the movement of the disk 11 to a sector which preferably corresponds to a single notch 011 the controller.

The main drum 10 is provided with a conducting segment 20 which as adapted to engage a plurality of stationary contact terminals :21 to 25, inclusive, along the position-indicating lines a, I), c and d, whereby the energizing circuits for the several electrically controlled switches LS, 2, 3 and st are established in the order mentioned.

The auxiliary disk 11 is preferably composed of suitable insulating material and is provided with a contact member 27 which is adapted to bridge a plurality of stationary contact terminals 28 and 29 in the first running position a, and thus to complete a main control circuit which extends from the supply-circuit conductor 1, through a portion of a control-resistor 31, a tap 30, and

conducting segments 27 and to the returncircuit conductor G.

If the main drum 1() ot the master controller is moved by the handle 3 into porition a, the auxiliary disk 11 and its contact member 27 will be moved with theis thus closed, and energy supplied to the driving motors through a current-colletting device 36, conductor 42, switch LS, resistors R2, R3 and Rat, armature winding A1, field winding F 1, armature wind A2 and field winding F2 to the 10l'1ll11-il(f1llt conductor The driving motors are thus caused to accelerate in accordance with well understood principles.

In order to further accelerate the motors, the master controller 9 is moved suceessi vely into positions 6, 0, (Z and e in which. the switches 2, 3 and 4 are successively closed to short-oi 'cuit the respective resistor units.

It will. be understood that, after the au:\'- iliary disk 11 has been moved to a position a, no further movement thereof can take place so long as the master controller is moved in a forward direction.

If the master controller 9 is moved in a reverse direction from any position, the trictional engagement between the main drum 10 and the auxiliary disk 11 will cause the disk 11 to be moved with the main drum until the stop 19 engages the member 18. It will be evident, therefore, that the segment 27 will be returned to the position shown in the drawing, and the inain-com rol circuit for the switches LS, 2, and i will be interrupted.

Although I have described my invention as embodied in an apparatus of very simple construction, it will be understood that the invention is not to be rstricted to the particular structure herein set forth and that only such limitations shall be imposed as are indicated in the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A, controller comprising a main contact carrying drum having a main cylindrical portion and a projecting cylindrical portion of smaller diameter than said main portion, an auxiliary contact-carrying drum comprising two cooperating semi-cylindrical parts each of a thickness equal to the dillerence between the radii of said cylimlrical portions, a pair of bolts for connecting :--;ll(l semi-cylindrical parts together, a spring for each bolt adapted to cause continual frictional engagement between said main drum and said auxiliary drum, means for ldljlhting the tension of Said springs, a projecting lug secured to said auxiliary drum, and a U-shaped stop member for engaging said lug to restrict the movement of said auxiliary drum relatively to said main drum.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this th day of Sept. 1916.

NORMAN WV. STORER. 

